Resident Evil has always had a pretty good selection of weapons, and Resident Evil 4 definitely doesn't disappoint here. The expanded arsenal and miscellaneous gadgets keep the game from ever being scary—really, how can you be scared when you're armed to the teeth? But it's ok, because this isn't a survival horror game, it's action horror.

Thankfully, the enemies have been upgraded to match your bounty of weapons, so it ends up evening out in the end. There's also a feeling of progression, since you can upgrade your character (at least in terms of health and equipment), your weapons, and your inventory.

After defeating waves of Ganados and getting desperately low on ammo and health, the blue flames that marks the location of the Merchant's store is always a welcome sight. Knowing you're stronger than you were at the beginning of the game makes the experience more rewarding. The only downside to all this is that by the end of the game Leon will have enough weapons, ammunition, grenades, and health to take on pretty much anything unfortunate enough to get in his way. The terror that comes with walking into a room of enemies tends to wane the further you get into the story.

If you're a fan of the series this is definitely worth checking out, if only for the nostalgia factor it brings playing a game that brings fond memories of what the series was like before Resident Evil 5 took the action approach head on. RE4 isn't a particularly scary game, but it has its moments, and they're sprinkled far enough apart to make each one exponentially more enjoyable when you encounter it. If you're not necessarily a fan of the series or haven't yet played Resident Evil 4, this is arguably the best the franchise has to offer, and the slick new look brings it closer to what we've come to expect visually from games this generation. Resident Evil 4 HD isn't a perfect port, but it offers a ton of content for a budget price.

By
Adam Dodd
CCC Contributing Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.2

GraphicsCapcom could have pushed this, giving us a game that looked closer to Resident Evil 5, but this is still the best looking version of the game to date.

3.8

ControlRE4 is far easier to play than its awkward tank-like predecessors, but it definitely doesn't feel as good as it did in 2005.

4.5

Music / Sound FX / Voice ActingThe soundtrack is still fantastic, and despite some deliciously cheesy dialogue, the voice acting is solid.

4.6

Play ValueWith a 10-12 hour campaign, the Mercenaries mode, and the Separate Ways story, RE4 has plenty of content for the budget price.

4.4

Overall Rating - GreatNot an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend

0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid

2.5 - 2.9 = Average

3.5 - 3.9 = Good

4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy

2.0 - 2.4 = Poor

3.0 - 3.4 = Fair

4.0 - 4.4 = Great

5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Play the game that breathed new life into the Resident Evil franchise, this time with remastered HD visuals.